These cute Valentine cake pops are made from scratch with vanilla cake and buttercream—simple, delicious, and better than store-bought!
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show your love than with a sweet treat made from scratch? Skip the store-bought desserts this year and try your hand at making these adorable homemade Valentine cake pops. What a thoughtful gift for that special someone!
These Valentine's Day cake pops are not only adorable but also delicious and so simple to make, too.
Love easy-to-make desserts? Try my No-bake Lazy Cake, my Chocolate Walnut Cake, or my Two Ingredient Chocolate Mousse.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Few ingredients: You only need 3 simple ingredients to make these cake pops.
- Simple and fun to make: These easy Valentine cake pops are a cinch to make, even for beginner bakers.
- Customizable: You can change the flavors, colors, or decorations to suit your taste.
- Perfect for gifting: These irresistibly cute little treats make for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day gift.
- Delicious: These homemade cake pops are rich, moist, and coated in a sweet chocolate shell—every bite is pure bliss! ❤️
What You Need to Make Cake Pops for Valentine's Day
Ingredients
- A baked cake: I don't use a box cake for this recipe, instead, I use my homemade vanilla cake. You could also make the cake balls with any leftover cake. For this recipe, I used one baked 8-inch cake.
- Buttercream frosting: Adds moisture and helps bind the cake mixture together.
- Candy melts: These create a smooth, colorful coating for the cake pops. Choose festive Valentine’s colors like pink, red, or white.
- Sprinkles (not shown above): These are optional, but they really make the cake pops look gorgeous.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Equipment you'll need
- Large mixing bowl
- Cake pop sticks
- Baking sheet or sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Mini heart mold
- Small cookie scoop
How to Make Valentine Cake Pops
Step-by-step Instructions
1. Once the cake has cooled, crumble it into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add buttercream frosting a little at a time (about 1-2 tablespoons) and mix gently.
3. It's ready when the dough comes together and you can easily form balls or fill in heart molds. Chill the cake balls.
4. Melt the candy melts until smooth.
5. Insert a stick into a cake ball to make an indentation, going halfway through.
6. Dip the stick in some melted chocolate and insert it into the hole. Chill the cake balls again.
7. Dunk each cake ball into the melted chocolate coating so it's completely covered. Lift and gently tap the stick on the edge of your container to remove any excess coating.
8. Add sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet so they stick. Let the coated cake pops stand upright to set. I use a small glass filled with sugar, but you could also use a Styrofoam block.
I drizzled some white chocolate over the pink heart cake pops.
Recipe Notes
Substitutions
- Vanilla Cake: Use chocolate cake, red velvet cake, or even store-bought pound cake.
- Frosting: Swap buttercream for cream cheese frosting for a tangy flavor or use Biscoff (cookie butter), or Nutella, instead.
- Candy Melts: You can use white chocolate chips or dark chocolate if desired, but you will need to temper it. For regular chocolate, I add some vegetable oil to thin it out and make it smooth for dipping.
Storage Tips & Freezing Instructions
Store the cake pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze uncoated cake balls for up to about 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before coating and decorating. You can also freeze coated cake pops for up to about 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Keep in mind that they may be prone to cracking due to changes in moisture content.
Variations & Cake Pop Ideas for Valentine's Day
- Flavors: Add extracts like almond or peppermint to the frosting for unique flavors or use different flavored cake.
- Colors: Use different candy melt colors for various occasions beyond Valentine’s Day.
- Shapes: Create other festive shapes using molds.
- Sprinkles: I like using different sprinkles. You could also add glittery sugar or edible glitter for extra sparkle.
- Love Letter Designs: Another fun idea is to decorate your pops with sweet messages using food-safe markers.
Tips For Success
- The cake needs to cool completely: I prefer to make the cake a day or two ahead.
- Don't overdo it with the frosting: You really need to be careful with the cake to frosting ratio for cake pops. Using too little frosting and the dough won't come together, too much frosting and the cake pops will be too heavy and dense and may fall off.
- Use a small cookie scoop: That way all the cake pops will be the same size. You could also use a cake pop scooper.
- Use Candy Melts: Compared to regular chocolate, candy melts are much easier to work with, because they don't need to be tempered. If you use regular chocolate, you will need to temper it.
- Chill properly: Always chill the cake balls before dipping to prevent them from falling apart. I find 5 minutes is enough and if I chilled them any longer than that, the chocolate tended to crack after I dipped the balls.
- Use a deep container for dipping: This makes it easier to coat the pops evenly.
- Tap off excess coating: Gently tap the stick on the edge of the container to remove excess candy coating, or move the stick back and forth over the chocolate to shake off any extra.
- Work in batches: Keep some cake balls in the fridge while working with a few at a time to prevent them from softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
For me, the trick to perfect cake pops is getting the consistency right. You need to mix crumbled cake with just enough frosting to create a dough-like texture that holds its shape when rolled into balls. Also, chilling them before dipping and using candy melts are important for a smooth coating. And don't forget to dip the stick in the coating before inserting it into the ball as it acts like glue.
Yes, store-bought frosting works just as well, although you may need to adjust the amount. Use about 2-3 tablespoons to start and add more if needed.
I always make sure the cake balls aren't too large. I recommend using a small cookie scoop to form balls about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons in size to prevent them from becoming too heavy. Also, dipping the tip of the stick into melted chocolate before inserting it into the cake ball helps create a stronger hold.
Cracking usually happens when the cake balls are too cold. That’s why I only chill them in the fridge for about 5 minutes. If they stay in the fridge longer, the temperature difference between the cold cake and warm coating causes the coating to crack.
More recipes for Valentine's Day!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out and leave a rating and review below! I'd love to hear from you! ❤️
Recipe
Easy Valentine Cake Pops
Equipment
- one 8 inch (20cm) round cake pan
- parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- cake pop sticks
- baking sheet or sheet pan
- mini heart mold
- small cookie scoop
- cake pop sticks
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (155g)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (85g)
- ¾ cup sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ tablespoon light vegetable oil
- ½ cup whole milk (125ml)
For the frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2-3 teaspoons milk or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the coating
- 12 ounces candy melts (340g) (I use pink and white)
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Make the vanilla cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
- Grease and flour the pan, then tap out any excess flour. Line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (155g), 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1–2 minutes until softened. Add the sugar all at once and beat for about 5 minutes until light and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (85g), ¾ cup sugar (150g)
- Add the egg, vanilla and oil, and mix until combined.1 large egg at room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ tablespoon light vegetable oil
- Gradually add the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, alternating between the two (beginning and ending with the flour). Beat on low to medium speed, mixing just until combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix.½ cup whole milk (125ml)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is light golden brown.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the buttercream frosting
- Sift the powdered sugar and set it aside.1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times as needed.¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (57g)
- Add the powdered sugar in 4 additions, mixing on low speed at first, then increasing to medium. Beat well after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and add the milk one teaspoon at a time. You may not need all the milk—stop once you reach your desired consistency. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk. If it’s too thin, mix in 1-2 extra tablespoons of powdered sugar.½ teaspoon vanilla, 2-3 teaspoons milk or heavy cream
Make the cake pops
- Crumble the cooled cake into fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl. I use my hands.
- Add 1–2 tablespoons of buttercream at a time, mixing gently after each addition. Continue adding small amounts until the cake crumbs stick together. Keep an eye on the texture as you mix. The dough is ready when it holds together and can be easily rolled into balls without crumbling.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out even amounts (about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons in size), then roll into balls. For heart cake pops, press the cake mixture firmly into each cavity of the silicone heart mold, adding just enough to level it off at the top. Make sure to pack it tightly to maintain the heart shape once it sets. Smooth the surface with your fingers or a spatula for an even finish.
- Place the cake balls on a parchment-lined (or non-stick) baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. If you're using the heart mold, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes so the cake hearts are easier to remove (I push them up from the bottom of the mold).
- Melt the candy melts according to the package instructions until it's smooth. Make sure the chocolate is runny or the coating won't be smooth.12 ounces candy melts (340g)
- Insert a stick into each cake ball to make an indentation, going halfway through—don’t push too far, or the cake pop may fall off later. Remove the stick, dip the tip in melted chocolate, and insert it back into the hole. Place the cake ball on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cake balls/hearts, then refrigerate for 5 minutes to let the chocolate set.
- Remove 2-3 cake balls/hearts from the refrigerator. Dunk each cake ball into the melted chocolate coating so it's completely covered, including the base where the stick and cake ball connect. Lift and gently tap the stick on the edge of your container to remove any excess coating. If using sprinkles, add them now while the chocolate is still wet so they stick on the cake pops.sprinkles
- Let the coated cake pops stand upright to set. I used small glasses filled with sugar, but you could also use a Styrofoam block to set them upright. Alternatively, place them stick-side up on parchment to set. Repeat with the remaining cake balls/hearts, taking only 2-3 out of the refrigerator at a time.
- The chocolate coating needs about 45 minutes to set. Store coated cake pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Cool the cake completely—making it a day ahead works best.
- Go easy on the frosting—use just enough to bring the crumbs together without making the pops too dense.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cake pops.
- Candy melts work best since they don’t need tempering like regular chocolate.
- Chill briefly—5 minutes in the fridge is enough to prevent the chocolate from cracking.
- Dip in a deep container for easier coating.
- Tap off excess coating by gently tapping or shaking the stick over the container.
- Work in batches—keep some cake balls in the fridge while you dip a few at a time.
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